Lorenzo Ruiz was born in Binondo, Manila, on 28 November 1594, to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother who were both Catholic. His father taught him Chinese while his mother taught him Tagalog.
Lorenzo served as an altar boy at the Binondo Church. After being educated by the Dominican friars for a few years, Lorenzo earned the title of escribano (scrivener) because of his skillful penmanship. He became a member of the Cofradia del Santísimo Rosario (Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary). He married Rosario, a native, and they had two sons and a daughter. The Ruiz family led a generally peaceful, religious and content life.
By nature of our vocations, Christ calls us fathers and husbands to die, to a martyrdom of self. He calls us to lay down our lives for our brides and our families, dying to our selfish desires. St. Paul could not be clearer on this point (see Ephesians 5:25-27). It is a metaphorical death, to be sure, and one which leads to a new life with our families.
Some men, however, go beyond mere manhood, beyond the natural virtues we all strive to live out, as Christ calls us to live. These men, these saints, not only give up their lives symbolically in marriage, as all men do who exchange wedding vows, but also literally in their deaths as martyrs for the Faith. There are few of these married martyr saints, and each one of them gives the Church a shining example of the call all of us have to holiness.
Of this elite band of brothers, St. Lorenzo Ruiz remains relatively obscure, a saint better known in Catholic trivia circles than in spiritual discussions. That is a shame, for we Christian men, especially husbands and fathers, gain much from reflecting on this true man of Christ and his life of love and service.
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Lorenzo Ruiz was born in Binondo, Manila, on 28 November 1594, to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother who were both Catholic. His father taught him Chinese while his mother taught him Tagalog.
Lorenzo served as an altar boy at the Binondo Church. After being educated by the Dominican friars for a few years, Lorenzo earned the title of escribano (scrivener) because of his skillful penmanship. He became a member of the Cofradia del Santísimo Rosario (Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary). He married Rosario, a native, and they had two sons and a daughter. The Ruiz family led a generally peaceful, religious and content life.
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Answer:
By nature of our vocations, Christ calls us fathers and husbands to die, to a martyrdom of self. He calls us to lay down our lives for our brides and our families, dying to our selfish desires. St. Paul could not be clearer on this point (see Ephesians 5:25-27). It is a metaphorical death, to be sure, and one which leads to a new life with our families.
Some men, however, go beyond mere manhood, beyond the natural virtues we all strive to live out, as Christ calls us to live. These men, these saints, not only give up their lives symbolically in marriage, as all men do who exchange wedding vows, but also literally in their deaths as martyrs for the Faith. There are few of these married martyr saints, and each one of them gives the Church a shining example of the call all of us have to holiness.
Of this elite band of brothers, St. Lorenzo Ruiz remains relatively obscure, a saint better known in Catholic trivia circles than in spiritual discussions. That is a shame, for we Christian men, especially husbands and fathers, gain much from reflecting on this true man of Christ and his life of love and service.
Explanation: